“He is hard puncher and does not move around much which makes it difficult to go at him toe to toe. So I had to move and attacked him on the counter, when he tried coming close to me. It’s this strategy, which worked wonders for me in the ring today. The results might have gone unanimous in my favour but I must admit it was not an easy win for me,” he added.

In some of the other bouts, three-time King’s Cup gold- medallist K Shyam Kumar (49kg), who is competing for the Railways Sports Promotion Board (RSPB), also entered the medal round with a win over local favourite K Kranthi.

Shyam Kumar had won a silver medal in the previous edition of the championship.

Former national champion Madan Lal (56kg), competing for the Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) defeated Manipur’s M Romajit to enter the semi-finals.

Over 300 boxers from 37 states and sports promotion boards are competing in the championships.